I Was Smiling Yesterday
by HayleyQuinn
Summary: A new twist on the Harley Quinn and The Joker relationship. Set in Nolanverse with a nod to the comic series and BTAS.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Her

For once, it was silent.

For once, the sound was still and the silence creped in on all fours. It sniffed out the corners of the padded cells and worked its way around the wrought iron bars. For once the screams of the elderly schizophrenic from down the hall and the wails of the young and depressed man who still cried at night were soundless. The page turning, the beeping of wires and cellphones and pagers and heart monitors: noiseless. The scuffing of nurse scrubs, the sounds of a scalpel being pulled off the table and plunged into a patient, the sounds of dread and delirium: all inaudible. Yes it was silent. No one spoke, like talking was against the regulation and _everyone here is SUCH a good person. _Silence was the law and even _he_ followed it today. Normally at this time of day he would fill the halls with a cackle or a chuckle just to throw everyone off their seats. His laugh was an art that he perfected; with a simple giggle he could send a grown man running from the room. He enjoyed that. He never liked silence. He always called silence a synonym of boring, and if The Joker was once thing it certainly wasn't boring.

But he found it odd that he didn't mind this silence. Not. At. All. It was like a friend, (friend?) yes friend- that visited him with rosy cheeks and stupid optimism. A friendly quiet. Normally when it was quiet it meant that there was a certain bat-themed vigilante stalking him from the shadows—but there were no bats to be found here on sublevel: 6 Maximum Security Wing of Arkham Asylum.

It was silent. And it was all because of her.

The sound was sucked out of the room when she entered it. He couldn't put his finger on it: perhaps it was the black framed glasses she wore even though he knew she didn't need them. Maybe it was the tightly pulled hair in that sock-bun that made her look like a naughty librarian minus the naughty part. No it was something more specific.

Her smile.

'_THERE that was it'_ he grinned to himself as he saw her, as well as about a dozen other inters, shuffle past his cell.

It was her smile that made her stand out. Her pearly whites, perfectly in line: like a Colgate commercial. Her smile was framed with those baby pink lips that pursed into a thoughtful pout: as if she was studying everything and anything inside the halls with eager wonder. She was a smile in a sea of fish: flopping about aimlessly in the wings scared shitless out of their minds. Every student in their pretentious and prim white coats-their eyes constantly moving as if they were afraid that if they focused on something for even a second, something would jump out a seize them.

Good: they should be afraid.

But not her. She was not afraid: she was learning. She was silent. And that made her the play toy of the day.

"And this is the maximum security wing. Normally we don't offer positions to underclassmen on this level, but due to the influx of patients…"

'_Prisoners'_ The Joker thought to himself.

"We have had to make a few exceptions. We are happy to take all of you on if you are still willing to board here." Said Dr. Leland who was giving around the tours. The Joker knew the drill by now, seeing that he was only there for four months and had to see at least 3 of these groups come in. He knew that half of the group wouldn't even come back the next day to start work, and that most would leave by the end of the month: leaving the need to keep constantly hiring new interns. He made it his personal job to scare them all off. It was one of his favorite games to play. That, and 'which guard will I strangle today?'.

Not everyone like his little games, as he would like to call them. In fact, things have been rather boring the past week since the guards that walked his beat were catching onto his ruses. They knew not to stand close to the cell, not to enter, and certainly not to talk to him. Of course, it didn't stop him from talking to them.

"Will we actually be working with the patients, other than doing clerical and nurses' work?" Said the blonde in the back- the silent blonde in the back.

"No, we will try and keep you far from these patients in fact: seeing that most of you are still a year from graduating with your PhD and are most likely unqualified to fit with the mental stress that comes with being a doctor. May it also be noted that these patients are highly dangerous and rather uncooperative with-new meat". Dr. Leland said rather sharply.

"Well perhaps they haven't had the right doctor. One could get rather annoyed if their chewing on the _same bone as always"._ The blonde had said, in a matter-of-fact way.

'_Ohhh—she has some bite in her.' _He thought as he put his head next to the bars, listening in on the conversation.

"Well then, perhaps in a few years of training you will be ready for something of this level." Leland said curtly. And with that she turned on her feet and made her way back to the only exit door at the end of the hall-passing the cell of The Joker. The students grouped together like the sardines they were and followed her like a lost ducking crossing the road filled with dangerous and zooming vehicles. The blonde turned and followed in pursuit, but made sure to distance herself from the group-taking her time walking back as if there weren't criminals lining the walls. She mocked under her breath as she passed his cell- he took the opportunity and reached out-grabbing her arm rather forcefully.

With a quick turn of the wrist he had her back pressed to the cool bars of the cell-his arm reach all the way out of the bars and rapping itself around her like a mink scarf. She didn't scream, '_she's smart enough not to scream' _he said to himself- but she did make a sound as her back hit the metal which drew the attention of everyone in the room.

"Let the girl go!" Dr. Leland stated as she marched her way through the terrified group of students.

"Hmmmm-how about no" He said as he tightened his grip on her neck. The guards at the end of the hall started to draw in, which only made him press his elbow deeper into her skin: her very notable lavender scented skin. She winced in pain and it sounded like music.

"Take another step and I'll have to snap her neck, and I really don't want to do that." He hissed out as his tongue jutted out quickly and wetted the scars around his mouth. The guards halted: they all did.

"Now, that's better" he said as he turned to face the blonde in his arms—who didn't struggle the least knowing that any movement could easily turn her neck in the wrong direction.

"What do you want." said still trying to gain control of the situation.

"Oh, nothing you could give me. But you-" The Joker said as he rotated to face the girl he held—"You could start by giving me your name".

"Harleen. Harleen Quinnzel." She said as she tilted her chin up to break from his arm so she could speak and be heard.

"Harleeeen… HARLeen. Harleen Quinnzel." The Joker hummed.

"Yes, that's my name. Are you going to sing about it or let me go?" She said, almost as if she was already board with this whole hostage situation already.

"I like that. Harleen Quinnzel. Mix around the words and you get—"

"Harley Quinn." They both said at nearly the same exact time.

"Yes, I've heard it before. The French term for clown."

"Your parents sure had a sick sense of humor or something" He added with a sick and twisted laugh.

"Or something" Harleen has retorted back. "Why should you care? Aren't you going to just snap my neck?"

"_Or something_" he sneered back. He could feel her eyes roll at the comment: almost as if she suspected his reply. "No I'm interested because I like to know what, or who, in this case I'm having. You know, tired of the _same ol' meat_". He said almost too close to her ear. She could feel his teeth bite softly at the lobe as the words rolled off his tongue. "And you don't taste like the others".

His eyes closed as he pressed himself to the back of her enjoying the scent of her lavender kissed hair. Harleen took the opportunity that was given to her as she tilted her head harshly to the side, banging his face into the bars and with a grunt, he released her. She stumbled forward and nearly skidded across the floor with the force he let her go at- his nose wasn't broken, but it was damaged enough to bleed. The minute she was out of harm's way the guards descended on him like hawks. Dr. Leland rushed to Harleen as she stood and quickly led her to the rest of the student body-shielding her with her arm quiet protectively as the guard tried to put the straight jacket onto The Joker, who now spurted out into fits of laughter.

"It's a compliment! HAHAHA!"

The students scurried into the elevator as Leland gently pushed Harleen into the elevator.

"See you later, Harley Quinn!" The Joker snickered as the elevator doors began to close.

"No. You won't". Dr. Leland said as the doors shut on The Joker's malicious smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Him

She wished for silence.

The constant hollering around her was unbearable; she was bombarded with questions and statements of _"ARE YOU OKAY?" "DO YOU NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION?" "IM SO SORRY THIS HAPPENED_"-all with that snide undertone of _"please don't sue us". _

She wasn't stupid, she knew that's what it really came down too. Yet she kept quiet and answered in nods and tiny smiles just waiting for them all to GO AWAY.

She couldn't get the events that just happened out of her head. She could still feel his hot breathe against her neck, and if she rubbed her wrists together. She could feel the indentations where his fingers were when he grabbed her. She pressed into the forming bruises every now and then, as a reassurance that it actually did happen and it wasn't a figment of her imagination. She wasn't scared- which didn't really shock her; as a gotham-ite for more than a year she was used to the constant violence and how it shrank a man's courage down to the size of a penny. She had worked hard on building that wall of steel nerves and no clown was going to knock it down…at least not on the first try. Her thoughts were probed once again with the loud clacking of shoes rushing into the medical wing of Arkham Asylum.

"Harleen… hello, again I can't express to you how sorry we are that such a thing happened. And we want to ask you if you have any interest as staying aboard with us at Arkham, and I also want to express that I understand if you want to terminate your time with us before it has even started-" Dr. Joan Leland stated with a monotone voice, as if she was used to interns dropping like flies at the slightest interference. Harleen had just rolled her eyes as she hopped off the medical table and straightened her black skirt.

"Thank you for the concern, but I don't think I'll be leaving Arkham any time soon". Harleen had said with a slight Brooklyn drawl.

"A-are you sure?" Dr. Leland questioned, as she cocked an eyebrow in curious suspicion.

"Yes. Arkham is a home for the mentally unstable and violent individuals: I wouldn't come here and expect everything to peachy and perfectly safe. I applied to come here and work in a cage of lions; it's not that shocking that they would attack. It's going to take a lot more than a little shuffle with a criminal to scare me off." Harleen stated, as she reached for her jacket.

"If you don't mind me asking…why do you want to work here so badly?" asked in a concerned tone. "I mean… most interns come here because they can't find any other job or they need another credit to pass their class so they can move onto something they'd rather do. Why Arkham?"

"I've always had a thing for extreme personalities. I guess in a way I'm one too: but I've been given a chance because I've decided to do something fruitful with my quirks. I think they just need a chance, and I want to be someone who can give that to them. We all deserve second chances, don't we Dr. Leland?"

"You can call me Joan, Ms. Quinnzel… I'll see you tomorrow." Joan had said, biting down at her growing grin. She wouldn't let it show as she turned and walked down the corridor leaving Harleen to finally take in the silence with a smile.

*….*…*

"E-excuse me?" Dr. Eglebert stumbled.

Dr. Eglebert was a stumbling man. His fat fingers stumbled over the file pages that rested before him, his fat gullet grazed the edge of the metal table that he sat at, his fat fat head stared straight in a scared pose as his eyes stayed glued to the man he sat across from… He was a stumbling man who stumbled into a rather scary conversation with a very scary man. never referred to his patient as a man of course, but rather as his I.D of #4479.

"You heard me…" replied his patient, who sat across from him with his feet on the table. He always had a disregard for rules and will always have a disregard for his doctor. If he could stretch his hands out he would wrap them around 's throat ; he would watch the man stumble out small meaningless words like _"please"_ and _"I have a family"_ or something else equally as useless. Sadly, he was restrained by a straitjacket.

"Surely you don't mean that..."Dr. Eglebert stated as his eyes darted from his patient's to down the panic button that was conveniently placed on the table, and back to the glaring dark green eyes of Patient #4479.

"If I didn't mean it, then I wouldn't have said it. And I'm a sincere kinda guy, Doc."

Even in manacles, Patient #4479 was still menacing. He leaned forward and licked his lips tracing the scars on his mouth with the tip of his tongue. There was fresh blood on the corners of his mouth- either from when the guards had punched him for his little act on the intern, or from the intern herself who had nearly broke his nose. It tasted bitter, and that's the way he liked it.

"You know I'm not capable of getting that done, Patient #4479…" His doctor declared as he adjusted his glasses-trying desperately to gain control back. Well, he never really had control in the first place. Patient #4479 always had the upper hand. Always.

"I have a name, Doc. Trying using it for once…"

"Joker, I am your doctor and I cannot grant you what you are asking".

"I'm not asking for much. I'm just asking for you to drop dead so that I can have Harleen Quinnzel as my doctor." The Joker retorted with a laugh at the end.

"She's not qualified yet, she doesn't have her PhD Degree yet—"

"Then give her one." The Joker snarled.

"Why such the sudden interest in the new intern? Does this have anything to do with your earlier attack on her?"

"Everything to do with it. I know her." He snapped, adding emphasis on 'her'. "How about this I'll make it simple for ya'… for everyday that isn't my doctor- whoever is my doctor will die." The Joker laughed out as he stood towering over the . "Starting-with you". He grinned as the physician practically ran for the panic button. The Joker slammed his head onto the hand of before the button could be pressed. Patient #4479 wrangled around as the doctor raced to the door yelling as he clutched his throbbing hand. It only took 50 seconds for The Joker to get out of the white ties and rush over to the doctor. He grabbed a fist full of the doctor's hair as he pulled back and slammed the man's face into the metal door.

"Today's your lucky day, Doc." The Joker whispered into the Doctors ear as he pressed the man's forehead roughly into the frame. "You get to deliver my message. Which means you get to live for now. I don't believe in _shooting the messenger-_So I want you to go out there and get me my new doctor. She's a physician I'd _kill for_!" The Joker laughed as he released the man.

Dr. Eglebert never ran faster in his laugh-and The Joker, never laughed harder.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A New Doctor Indeed

**A/N: hello readers! I am so sorry for the few updates: I've been extraordinarily busy with my first year of college, but I will try and update as much as I can this summer! I am updating as I am writing so your comments definably affect me! Thank you to those reading and reviewing: It REALLY means a lot to me. ;)**

**With that said: I forgot to do the disclaimers. So-disclaimer! I own nothing. Enjoy!**

The body count rose to 6 before they final gave into The Joker's demands.

They never, in the history of the asylum's antiquity, gave into a patient's demands more than they did for the infamous super-criminal. At first they simply ignored his threat, locking him in his cell with no doctor at all. However he reverted to slaying guardsmen and nurses-and yes, sadly, the occasional doctor that got too close. They had to get him a new uniform because the old one was dyed red with blood. His tirade was agonizing, terrifying, and above all a royal pain in Dr. Leland's ass.

Now, the doctor sat in her chair massaging the bridge of her nose as she looked down at The Joker's file, soon to be 's patient file. She knew that he was up to something. She could see his jokes coming from miles away. Of course she never knew the joke until it hit her, but she could anticipate the horrid punch line as it brewed in his mind. She didn't want the girl to end up as just a one-liner. She could admit to herself that she like the girl: friendly, upbeat, and rather fierce. It had been some time before someone had spoken up and back at her. Being the head doctor at a mental institution is a rather grave job to have: and no one wants to mess with the woman in charge of the loony-bin.

The knock on the door awoke from her rather somber state.

"Come in" She said as she closed the manila folder and placed it on her lap.

Enter Quinnzel: in yet another school girl-ish outfit. couldn't exactly blame her, she was still technically a school girl, with just two months to go before her graduation from college. However the black pencil skirt rose a bit too high, and the lab coat was just a bit too short: not that the girl didn't cut the figure for such clothing's.- Besides the point, these were things to be addressed later.

"I was told you wanted to see me?" Harleen had said as she entered the room. The room itself was quite large being the head doctor's office- but rather vanilla in Harleen's eyes. The cream colored walls sported no personal pictures, save the one frame on her desk that was out of her view. In the corner was a Freudian couch, and to the left were two small counseling chairs. motioned for her to sit, and so she did in the chair closest to the door.

"Have I done something wrong, Joan?" Harleen asked in a factual tone. She couldn't allow her boss to know that she was terrified of being let go. She had only been at Arkham for a week: working downstairs filing away doctors notes. They had placed her as far away from the actual patients as possible, she thought- mostly on purpose. Nay, definitely on purpose.

"Oh no, Harleen. I haven't called you in here for anything like that. However, something has come up- do you remember your stint with The Joker last week?"

"How could I forget." Harleen said in a straight-man voice.

"Well it seems that he has requested you as his doctor. At first we had denied him that, being that we don't cater to criminals-however he had made some rather- blatant statements that he wants you to-treat him….or no one at all." stated as she picked up the folder and gentled glided it across the table to Harleen's awaiting gaze.

The file had contained pictures of his victims, all with an etched out "Dr. HQ" into their skin. There was a particularly gruesome one of a nurse, who had her cheek completely gouged out. Harleen bit her lip, hard: but not hard enough to bleed. _'Control yourself' _Harleen had said in her mind, trying to suppress what she thought about these photos. The blood on the floor, glistening in the florescent lights, the cheeks scabbed around the beginnings of the cuts: and the letters etched into the skin… It was a personal calling card, and it was calling for _her. 'Control what you feel'_, she whispered under her breathe.

"Very interesting" Harleen said as she closed the file: it was partially the truth, at least.

"I know you must be concerned about this… Dr. Arkham and I have discussed many different actions we could take on the matter: but we can't think of anything else than giving you guarded sessions with him"

"No, guards would only set him off. He wants me alone, Doctor. And if it'll get him to stop killing people, we'll just have to give it to him". Harleen had said, trying to hide her giddiness.

She couldn't stop thinking about him, ever since last week. The bruise had long healed, but she remembered exactly where they were on her skin…. Beautiful in their different tints- NO! She told herself, she can't be thinking like that…. Not anymore.

"When would you like to start-?" Dr. Leland said, standing and opening the door, indicating that their discussion was about to come to an end.

"How about now?" Harleen had said, as she mirrored Dr. Leland's actions. "If we give him a day to process that we're granting his wish, he'll have time to think of jokes or escapes. Catch him off guard, that way we can figure out the punchline before he even tells the joke".

*…*…*

"Up, clown". The guard said as he slid open The Joker's Cell.

The Joker looked up from the floor, smiling at the larger man in front of him.

"Where are your manners. Shouldn't there be a please somewhere in that sentence?"

"You're going to be late for your session." The guard stated as he cuffed The Joker.

"Hope you brought the body bags then!" He laughed as he was courted down the corridor. The Joker walked huffily down, anticipating how he was going to off the new Doctor. Maybe bash their head in like he did to the bird brat a few years ago, or maybe show the man a few magic tricks: he knew a good one involving a pencil…

He brewed his thoughts in his head all the way in the elevator ride up. Being on Sub Level 6, you had to take an elevator everywhere: to the rec room, the cafeteria, therapy, and physical therapy. So on and so forth. Stopping on Level 3, The Joker was lead to the last room on the right.

He knew this room well: Small, intimate, but completely wired with camera's. Normally used as a room for introductions to the asylum, new patient babble.

'_This ought to be fun' _He thought as he was pulled into the room.

One he was seated (rather roughly, if you were to ask him), he was chained with his hands and feet attached to one large chain on the floor.

The door opened a few minutes later, with a clack.

The Joker did not look up, planning on ignoring the doctor til he finally thought of a clever enough way to end the miserable quack's life.

The guard had left the clown's side, to give the figure a panic button and the rundown of "I'll be just outside". The figure didn't say anything, and only nodded as the guard closed the door behind him.

After a second of just standing there, the new doctor finally took a seat across from The Joker, who still stared at his cuffed hands.

The Joker waited for the new Doctor to say something, but the doctor never did. Instead, the two sat in silence: wading in it like a pool. Neither making the first move…or maybe, the silence was the first move. The Joker grinned as he finally opened his mouth to say something, however the figure beat him to the punch; getting the first words out.

"Wanna see a card trick." The voice said. The Voice said this as a statement, rather than a question. They weren't asking permission, they were telling them this as fact. They were taking control. The voice was confident, and bit sultry; laced with hints of a city accent.

The Joker looked up and locked eyes with the figure.

"Well, well…. If it isn't Harley Quinn."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Card Tricks

**A/N: Hello Readers! Two updates in a row (woot woot): I have an idea of where the story is going, but it's an open path. Can't wait to follow the trail with you guys! Hope the story is living up to your expectations: thank you again to all of you who are reviewing.3**

**DISCLAIMER: If I actually owned any of these characters, do you think I'd be writing FanFiction? (...actually, I might. haha).**

"Well, well…. If it isn't Harley Quinn" He stated as his eyes locked with hers. His, dark green, matched in line with her, the hue of robin's egg blue; his eyebrows arched and his smile as wide was it could stretch. She smirked right back at him, challenging him in his gaze. Neither was going to be the first to break eye contact now that he finally engaged himself with her.

"It's Ms. Quinnzel, soon to be Doctor."

"Sorry, didn't realize this was a formal affair. Forgive me for leaving the suit and tie in the cell." He sarcastically spat out.

"This isn't a diner party, this is therapy. And Ms. Quinnzel is my name. I'd appreciate it if you'd call me by it. Speaking of, is there anything you'd like me to call you?" She asked sincerely, but sternly.

His face contorted into a darker tone of grin.

"A few things come to mind…." He smirked as his tongue jutted out to quickly wet his scars, "But Mr. J will just have to do for now."

"Well then, Mr. J you never answered my question: would you like to see a card trick or not?"

He leaned back in his chair giving her the floor…well, the table. From the side pocket of her doctor's coat she pulled out a deck of cards with red facing. _'Very Traditional'_ he noted, as she began to shuffle them skillfully.

"Mind you, these aren't my cards. I borrowed them from Doctor Leland on the way over. Now: pick a card" she said as she fanned the cards on the table, so that neither of them could see their faces.

The Joker leaned forward and pointed to a card towards the end of the deck. He pulled it from the bunch and glanced it for a quick second, not wanting to break eye contact with her for too long. She stacked the unwanted cards, and motioned for him to place his card on the top of the deck. She began to shuffle them as she spoke.

"Fun Fact about cards, they all have a meaning. Clubs represent strength, Diamonds embody value and worth, Spades are for wisdom, and Hearts…well, they speak for themselves don't they." She added on with a smile. "and now for the finale, drum roll please."

The Joker patted his chained hands against the cool metallic table.

Harleen pulled the bottom card out and slid it across the table. "Your card is the Queen of Diamonds."

He took the card in his hand, smirking at her trick He ran his fingers across its face and flipped the card over to reveal the face of a smiling, old-fashioned Joker Card. "Nope, it's this one".

Harleen couldn't hold back a tiny giggle at his sleight of hand magic. "Why do you associate yourself with the Joker card?" She asked sincerely, once her giggling ceased.

"Well as you already know every card has its meaning. Every card has its purpose and place in a deck, but the Joker…the Joker's purpose is to create chaos. It triumphs every card because while every card is so stuck in being who they are, the Joker card can be anyone. It throws a bit of anarchy into the game." He turned the Joker Card around once more, reversing it back to the Queen of Diamonds. "Now the Queen of Diamonds, her purpose is to succeed. To be good. To accumulate not only wealth but respect. To have order in her kingdom. She commits fully to whatever things she has heart set on, and she gets it no matter what it takes. Sound like anyone we know?" He asked rhetorically, flipping the card between his fingers. "Now the trick was rather sweet Harley, but let's start the therapy."

"It's Ms. Quinnzel, and I'd think you would have appreciated the break from all the questions." She stated a bit annoyed at the subject change. She hated to admit it, but she was rather enjoying the conversation that they were having.

"This little warm up was nice, but don't you have all that doctor stuff to do?"

"What's the point? I didn't get a chance to completely read your file, it's a couple pages long and the walk here is rather short. But I gathered this much, that you don't answer questions asked to you. You don't know much about your past, and what you do know you're not willing to share. You don't care about the past, and neither do I. I'm not going to waste my time or yours on that. I'd learn more about you by just talking to you." Harleen listed as she leaned forward, hammering in her point. She wasn't going to back down, and her confidence in his case permeated the air and sat there for a moment or two as both took in her statements.

"You know, I knew I picked a good one when I asked for you to be my doctor."

"Why did you ask for me?" Harleen asked, leaning forward in her chair to the point where she was literally on the edge.

"Because I know you." He said, leaning forward as well.

"You know me?" She said, her eyes getting wider with interest. Now they were close. There was a table between them, but still close enough where they could whisper to each other and be heard. So close, and their eyes never drifted away from each other.

"Yes. I know you… I walked with you once upon a dream." He said as he all but laughed in her face and leaned back in his chair with a satisfied snort.

"Laugh all you want, but the jokes on you now. I'm your new doctor, and things are going to change. Because we ain't in a dream. This is reality. And the reality is, you are locked up in the top mental facility in the country, and you are stuck in here with me: for the next however long it takes to fix you."

"Don't fix what isn't broke".

"I don't think you're broke." Harleen said in a sad factual tone. " I think you're more than functional; you just work differently than everyone else. I'm going to fix the way you present yourself. I'm going to give you a second chance whether you want it or not."

With that she started to collect her things: mostly the cards that were still on the table. The Joker reached out and grabbed her risky, firmly but not tightly.

"Mr. J…"

"You're right _Ms. Quinnzel_ things are going to change. But I don't think the cards are entirely stacked in your favor." He took his hand and slid the card into her palm and released her from his grip. She looked at the card to see the face of the smiling Joker once more.

It was a threat; there was no doubt in that, but she didn't feel threated at all. If anything it empowered her. She took pride in staring down his violent metaphors and swallowing them whole. He basked in knowing that she wasn't going to be deterred by his words. Both of them knew that this was the start of a game. A game that was going to stretch out and consume them. They were aware that it was on dangerous footing, and that at a moment she would either drop his case or he would kill her. It was unsaid, unspoken- it didn't need to be voiced. But she made the first move the minute she pulled out the deck of cards.

"Don't count your eggs before they hatched, Mr. J. Let's just wait and see where the cards will fall. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that she left him sitting in his own smile: that was dripping in inquiry. She made her move, and now he was salivating in anticipation to make his.


End file.
